Why is it that Masters level swimmers who participate in USS sanctioned meets under a separate USS registration can't have their times automatically qualify for USMS rankings and USMS National records? What is the reason for this separation? The rules with USMS and USS seem parallel enough to allow USS swims to qualify under USMS ranking and records. Do we care if elite older swimmers in their 30's (say Gary Hall Jr.) effectively end up owning the USMS national record by default? Is USMS afraid of merging to closely with USS? Why wouldn't USMS want to recognize the true best performance by and old man/women in the pool regardless of whether their card said USS or USMS on it?
John Smith
Frank,
Two things:
1) All USA Swimming meets are automatically recognized as are all meets of FINA member nations.
2) When we get the dual sanctioning all straightened out, USMS members will be able to have the advantages of both. They can swim with the kids in a USMS meet and therefore set FINA records. So all we have to do is to get the big USA Swimming meets sanctioned by USMS. The trick here is that all sides must agree to do this and the swimmer must be swimming as a USMS member. Of course that is a stretch since USA Swimming Nationals, for example, is for USA Swimming members only! But for those USMS members who can get into a "regular" fast meet, it may help.
Leo
Frank,
Two things:
1) All USA Swimming meets are automatically recognized as are all meets of FINA member nations.
2) When we get the dual sanctioning all straightened out, USMS members will be able to have the advantages of both. They can swim with the kids in a USMS meet and therefore set FINA records. So all we have to do is to get the big USA Swimming meets sanctioned by USMS. The trick here is that all sides must agree to do this and the swimmer must be swimming as a USMS member. Of course that is a stretch since USA Swimming Nationals, for example, is for USA Swimming members only! But for those USMS members who can get into a "regular" fast meet, it may help.
Leo
